Making top loading mounts from split back mounts

In order to cut my mount cost by about 30% and have top loading mounts,  I take split back mounts and split in half. Hinges do not appeal to me as I do not working with them (very critical on moisure) and ease to replace stamp (remove prior hinge and then rehinge while not damaging page).  I limit this to stamps under 36mm high. Above that, I use a split back.

If you use clear mounts, there is an advantage in not needing as many different size mounts since one height can accommodate a range of heights.  A 27mm mount could be used for 25 to 27 without that obvious uneven black margin around the mount.

As an example, to get a mount for a 27mm high stamp, you can use 59mm strip and slice in half. This gives you 2.5 mm head room at top on mount. Note: The cost of a 57mm and 59mm mount is the same so there are sweet spots in pricing.

The key is using the split in the mount to align with the paper cutting edge and then hold mount as you slice.   The paper cutter is over 50 years old!

Advantages: better protection over hinges, easier to replace, top loading. full protection of backside compared to split back, cost saving over split backs.

Disadvantage: less secure than a split back, cost is much higher than hinges (smaller size runs about 3 cents per stamps to mount).